Bonk III: Bonk's Big Adventure Review

Bigger than ever, but not quite as fun.

Caveman Bonk's TurboGrafx trilogy came to a close in 1993, as Bonk III: Bonk's Big Adventure marked an end to the mascot's first era of existence. He'd later go on to spread across multiple platforms, star in spin-off series and, ultimately, fade into obscurity, but, in this game, he was still the Cro-Magnon king. Bonk III introduced several new features and gameplay mechanics to compliment the established playstyle of the previous two franchise adventures, and while it doesn't feel like as strong of a game on its own as either of its prequels, it's still a solid selection for fans of the man with the too-large head.

The "Big" in Big Adventure is this outing's major hook, as Bonk discovers – on his way to dethrone the villainous King Drool again – that he now has the power to grow to the size of a giant. A special power-up piece of blue candy activates the transformation, which leaves you in control of a hero who's fully half the height of the entire screen. In giant form, Bonk can cause more hurt to his foes than before, and break through certain barriers that are too tough for his normal-sized body too handle – but controlling Huge Bonk doesn't always feel natural, and newcomers to the series in particular might find him to be too sluggish.

On the opposite end of the spectrum is Tiny Bonk, a shrunken form of the hero achieved by eating red candy. This itty-bitty version of Bonk can still jump, climb and progress through levels almost as well as the standard man, but can additionally fit through tight spaces that would be otherwise impassable.

The growing large and shrinking small play mechanic sounds more like something you'd see in a Mario game – and, as it turns out, New Super Mario Bros. on the DS did just that. And though Mario's game followed after this Bonk adventure by over a decade and can't claim originality with the concept, it feels better in the Mushroom Kingdom than it does in Dinosaur Land. The implementation of Bonk's size-changing powers doesn't feel perfectly in place. It makes for an interesting visual spectacle to see such a large character in a game from nearly 15 years ago, but, actually playing it, it doesn't seem to add much to the fun factor.

The more interesting and noteworthy addition that does feel like something fresh is Bonk III's new inclusion of a two-player simultaneous mode. In it, a second player can join in on the side-scrolling action by taking command of a dark-toned clone of the hero. You can work together with a friend to clear levels, access hidden areas and beat bosses, but you'll have to share a single life meter and keep in fairly close proximity to one another on the screen – though a teleportation button lets you get back together after being separated, at the cost of some of your health.

Beyond those additions, what you'll find in Bonk III is largely more of the same as before. Side-scrolling action through colorful environments, dinosaur-themed settings mixed in with entertainingly out-of-place modern elements and a hero who still flips out and blows his top if he eats too much meat. It's pretty much exactly what you'd expect if you've played the first Bonk's Adventure and its sequel, Bonk's Revenge, and gamers who did and enjoyed them should be those who look to spend 600 Wii Points here.

The Verdict

Bonk III: Bonk's Big Adventure is another solid outing for the caveman hero, but even with its new gameplay ideas and the addition of a two-player mode, it still doesn't feel as fun, overall, as its predecessors. Perhaps this installment wasn't so much the peak of Bonk's potential as it was the beginning of his descent – but, either way, it's still a memorable game and a good choice for TurboGrafx fans on the Virtual Console.